he deceased's soul came before
him. This infernal president was reported to have been very equitable,
distributing rewards and punishments according to justice. Some souls
were supposed to be sent back to inhabit inferior bodies in this
world, while others were tormented in the most cruel manner in the
infernal regions. If a dying person laid hold of a cow by the tail,
and a Brahmin poured water over his hand, and put a sum of money into
it (the hand), the soul would be protected from the power of demons.

In Pegu, copper vessels or bells were used to frighten demons that
wanted to disturb the repose of the dead. There the priests pretended
to know what was most agreeable and acceptable to evil spirits, and
professed to be able to appease their anger. A grand entertainment was
sometimes made for the devil, at which the friends of a sick man
danced to the sound of vocal and instrumental music. These heathens
believed devils had bodies as well as souls, and that, although
immortal, they had the same passions as men. They believed, also, that
the devils or demons had power to foretell future events, and that all
dreams happened in consequence of their promptings. They therefore
consulted such devils nearly after the manner the witches of Great
Britain were accustomed to do.

When a person in Cochin-China was at the point of death, his male
relations surrounded his bed, brandishing their sabres and other
warlike weapons, to drive away the demons, which they supposed were
hovering around him to seize his soul the instant it was liberated
from the body. When a prince died, the priests held a consultation, in
order to discover what demon it was that caused the sad event; and
when they made the discovery, which they invariably did, they in a
solemn manner condemned the evil spirit to everlasting punishment. The
inhabitants of the Molucca Islands were under the impression, like
other heathens and Christians too, that two angels attended on every
person on earth, the one seeking his good, and the other his eternal
hurt. The good angel prompted the individual to holy actions, while
the malignant one was constantly instigating him to shun the right
path. The people worshipped the air under the name of Lanitho, which
was subject to another being or spirit named Lanthila, but they had
many gods they consulted on all occasions of importance. If it was
considered necessary to consult a Nito or god, the people assembled
under cloud of